Laundry apparatus



June 15, 1965 J. R. HUBBARD LAUNDRY APPARATUS Original Filed Dec. 10, 1958 85/5 a. INVENTOR. JANE: R. Russ/1R1) 3 a is 2 United States Patent 0 hull 3,188,838 LAUNDRY APPARATUS James R. Hubbard, Moorestown, N..l., assignor to Philco (Iorporation, Philadelphia, Pa, a corporation of Delaware Original application Dec. 10, 1958, Ser. No. 779,351, new Patent No. 3,100,387, dated Aug. 13, 1963. Divided and this application Feb. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 172,345

' 12 Claims. (Cl. 68-12) The present application is a division of application Serial No. 779,351, originally filed jointly by the undersigned and Stanley V. Horecky on December 10, 1958, entitled Laundry Apparatus, now US. Patent No. 3,100,387, granted August 13, 1963, and assigned through mesne assignments to the assignee of the present invent-ion.

This invention relates to laundry apparatus and, more particularly, to laundry apparatus of the type adapted automatically, according to a predetermined cycle of operations, both to wash and to dry clothes.

While of broader applicability, the present invention has particular utility in laundry apparatus adapted to operate in the manner disclosed and claimed in US. Patent No. 2,760,639, issued August 28, 1956, and as signed to the assignee of the present invention. Briefly, this patent relates to apparatus for centrifugally extracting liquid from and air-drying fabric materials, which materials have been washed in a cleaning liquid by low speed tumbling within a basket or drum having a lower portion which dips into said liquid. A major portion of the liquid retained by the materials immediately following the wash cycle is extracted therefrom by rotating the drum at a first or intermediate centrifuging speed higher than the mentioned tumbling speed but lower than the final centrifuging speed. The rotative speed is then reduced below the first centrifuging speed to a point sufficient to permit the materials to fall by gravity away from the wall of the drum, followed by increasing the speed of the drum to a higher speed in excess of the first centrifuging speed. After a suitable period of rotation at this higher speed, and upon initiation of the drying cycle, the rotational speed is reduced to that suitable for tumbling, whereupon the clothes again fall away from the inner peripheral wall of the drum. This falling away of the clothes from the periphery of the drum just prior to the drying cycle desirably provides for an optimum amount of material surface exposed to the drying air currents that pass through the cylinder. This is best accomplished by rotating the cylinder slowly and tumbling the material therein in such manner as to expose substantially all surfaces to the drying air currents.

In order to carry out the above advantageous sequence of operations it has been necessary in the past to provide suitable shiftable transmission means driven by a constant speed motor, in combination with means operable in response to a suitable programming device, such as a timer, to shift the trans-mission means and provide the desired drum speedsincluding low or tumble, intermediate, and high.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a simplified drive means for carrying out the abovedescribed sequence of operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in combination with a multispeed transmission, means responsive to rotational speeds of a member driven with said transmission to modify, cyclically, the energy delivered to the driven member thereby to provide rotational speeds of the latter other than those. provided by the transmission per se.

It is a specific object of the invention to provide simple means in combination with a two-speed transmission whereby three speeds are attainable therefrom.

In the achievement of the foregoing, as well as other objectives, a preferred embodiment of the present invention contemplates provision, in laundry apparatus, of two-speed transmission means, capable of imparting to a rotating drum a lower, or tumble, speed and a higher, or centrifuging speed, and this in combination with means operative, in correspondence with rotational speed of the driven system, when said transmission is conditioned for operating at the aforesaid higher speed, intermittently to interrupt the power input to the rotating drum thereby effectively to reduce its speed to a value substantially intermediate the tumble speed and the higher speed.

For a full understanding of the invention, and of the manner in which principles thereof may be carried out, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective showing of laundry apparatus embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational showing, partly in section, of the apparatus seen in FIGURE 1, as viewed from the rear;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the transmission with parts broken away, and looking generally in the direction indicated by arrows 3-3 as applied to FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic showing of electrical control circuitry and apparatus embodying the invention.

Now making more detailed reference to the drawing, and first to FIGURES 1 and 2, the invention is embodied in combined washing and drying apparatus including cabinet structure 10 having mounted thereon control means 11 and a door 12 that provides access to an opening communicating wit-h the interior of a clothes washing and drying chamber mounted within the cabinet structure.

The clothes chamber comprises a horizontally extending perforate drum or cylindrical basket 13 (FIGURE 2) which is mounted for rotating movements about a horizontally extending hub 14. Drive means for rotating the drum includes a motor 15, and a transmission 16 driven thereby and arranged to drive a belt 20 which engages a pulley 21 mounted to the drum in the region of said hub. An idler pulley 22 is arranged to engage a portion of the belt, which pulley is mounted for rotatable movements on an arm 23 that is pivotally mounted as seen at 25, upon housing 24. A spring 26 reacts between arm 23 and housing 24 and resiliently urges pulley 22 against belt 20.

As is well known in the art, drum 13 is rotated at a lower speed in the washing operation either to tumble the clothes or, when operated at a higher speed, to centrifuge the clothes to extract moisture therefrom, and during the drying operation to tumble the clothes at the lower speed uniformly to expose the fabrics or clothes being dried to circulating heated air, thereby facilitating the drying operation.

As is seen further in FIGURE 2, While the ends 30, 38a of drum 13 are preferably imperf-orate, with the exception of a loading aperture (not shown) in registry with door 12, the cylindrical surface portion 31 of the drum has perforation-s 32 to permit passage of heated circulated air through the drum to dry clothes disposed therein. Housing 24- is spaced from and encloses the drum 13, and an electrical resistance heater 33 is disposed within an inwardly presented recessed portion 34 of the drum enclosure 24. Means for cooling the circulated air may include a water vapor condenser (not shown) disposed within the enclosure, in the region of embossed portion 35 located opposite the heater 33. Circulation of the air is effected through rotation of'the drum in combination with temperature gradients existing between the relatively warm heater and the cool condenser. While details of the aforementioned structure need not be described further in connection with the present invention, a preferred structure is disclosed and claimed in the copending application of Ernest G. Orr, Serial No. 740,103; filed June 5., 1958, now, US. Patent No. 3,018,562, and as signed to the assignee of the present invention.

Means associated with control means 11, for controlling:

the temperature Within the clothes drying chamber, in-

eludes suitable thermostatic elements associated-with the 7 No. 768,101, filed October 20, 1958, now US. Patent No. 3,044,181, and assigned tothe assignee of the present invention.

Now referring to FIGURE 3 of the drawings, the trans'- mission 16 forming part of the driving connection be,-

tween the motor and the drum pulley 21 is capable,

per se, of producing, selectively, a lower or a higher drum end together with the housing 41 serving completely to I enclose the transmission 16.

A pinion 42 isformed. integrally with armature shaft This I with the suffix a, means for energizing the motor and the solenoid in accordance with a predetermined cycle is controlledby means 11 (FIGURE 1) comprising a multiple switch 64a disposed in series electrical circuit with a source of energy L and a parallel circuit comprising a solenoid.

57a and motor 15a. Switch 64aincludes a shaft 65a that v is manually rotatable for indexing by 'a knob 66a, and

driven by a small constantspeed motor 70a. Shaft 65a carries a pair of cams 71a and 72a arranged to open and closerespective switch contacts 74a and 75a which control circuits including the motor 15a and solenoid 57a.

The sequence of steps with which the present invention is concerned, and as hereinbeforedescribed, is predetermined by and in accordance with suitable shapes of the cams 71aand 72a.. It is of course to be understood that means for admittingand expelling wash-water as well as for energizing the heater, while not forming a part of the invention, may be of any knownsuitable. variety, and may also be controlled by additional cams and switch contacts as needed and associated with'the. shaft' 65a.

'The motor 15a is of :the split-phase,..induction' type provided with a starting winding sou and a running winding 81a arranged" in parallel circuit, and. each being dis- 1 posed in series circuitwith switch contacts. 74a. Arma- 40 and drivably meshes with the teeth of the large gear 43,

the latter being loosely sleeved on the drivencounter-shaft' 44 journalled'within the transmission housing 41. Counter-shaft 44' is parallel to armature shaft 40. and is provided with a pulley 45 (FIGURE 2).

A clutch member 46 is mounted to armature shaft 40, for rotation therewith, and conical clutch shoes 50 are attached to the member 46. These shoes are arranged for seating in a correspondingly shaped recess in a second clutch member '51 looselysleeved at the end of armature shaft 40. This second clutch member 51' is provided with teeth 52 that mesh with a gear 53 mounted on the countershaft 44 for rotation with'the latter. The arrangement is s'uchthat low speed drive is through the pinion 42 and gear 43, and high speed drive is through the gears '52 and 53,

'The gears 43 and 53 arranged along the counter-shaft 44 are relea'sably connected to one, another bymeans of a one-way drive connection inv the form of a suitably arranged coil spring '54, anchored to gear 43 by pin 54a and which tends to tighten about the, respective shoulder portions 55 and 56 of the gears 43 and 53 when driven To obtain higher speed, a solenoid 57 (FIGURE 2) j is energized, by means hereinafter to be described, to

move towardthe left, with reference to FIGURE 3 and V in so doing-moves a link (not shown) interconnecting the solenoid anda lever 60, pivotally mounted to housing 16 by a pin 59. Lever 60 is suitably linked by a pin 61 to the end of "a thrust shaft 62 rwhich is coaxial with respect to armature shaft 40, and axially movable through an opening 63 in the transmission housing 41. Operating solenoid 57'applies axial pressure, through a link and lever 60, to shift the gear-clutch member 51 toward clutch member 46 thereby effecting engagement of the clutch members and causing the armature shaft 40 to drive the clutch-gear 52. This drives the counter-shaft 44 directly through the gear 53 at high speed, and low speed gear 43' mounted on the counter-shaft rides idly thereon.

With reference to FIGURE 4, in which figure the elements corresponding to those illustrated elsewhere in the drawings bear the same respective reference numerals but to said shaft, and which, at a predetermined motor speed,

swing radially outwardly'against the resistance of springs 87a. The weights have extensions with ends seated in grooves formed in the periphery of disc a. The disc 7 85a is thereby axially movable along armature shaft 409 in response to radial movement of weights 8 6a. Thus, when the motor starts and the proper constant motor speed is attained, the weights shift disc 85a far enough to permit spring 90a to urge the contacts 83a and 84a apart and deenergize the starting winding. In further accordance with well-knownpractice, a capacitor 91a is placed in series with the starting winding.

In particular accordance with the invention, and referring further to FIGURE 4, a further centrifugal switch means 92af'i-s driven with the motor shaft 40q and the; contacts,93a, 94a are disposedin parallel electrical circuitlwith switch contacts 74a, which contacts are in series electrical circuit with line L and motor 15a. Also, the multiple switch 64a includes a. set of'contacts 75a arranged toenergiz'e and deenergize solenoid 57a..as

, provided for by line" L. As indicated, switch 92a is 7 associated with the motor shaft -40a and is thereby responsive to rotational speeds of 'the motor. Centrifugal forceresponsive means for operating the switch 92a include resiliently re's'trainedweights 95a and disc 96a.

While in the illustrated embodimentcentrifugal switch means 92a is shown mounted on'motor shaft 40a, it will be understoodthat it may .be mounted for rotationwith otherrotatable elements of the system. For example,.it may be conveniently housedwithin idler pulley 22 shown in FIGURE 2, which arrangemenLis disclosed in detail in the copendingfparentj application. SeriaL No. 779,351, nowUS. Patent No. 3,100,387.

In considering a representative. predetermined sequence of operations comprising a washing cyclefollowed by a drying cycle, and, making particularreference.to FIG- URE 4, the clothes drum is driven at its tumble, or lower, speed by closing switch contacts 74a and opening switch contacts 75g. This conditionsthe transmission, by dc: energizing solenoid 57a, for lower speed operation, and

. closing of contacts 74a obviates any effects due to operation of switch 92a having contacts 93a and 94a disposed in parallel with contacts 74a.

The desired intermediate centrifuging speed is obtained by opening contacts 74a and closing contacts 75a,

thus conditioning the transmission for higher speed operation and providing for cyclic energization and deenergization of the motor a in response to predetermined rotational speeds of the latter. The net effect is, therefore, the driving of drum 13 at the intermediate speed as respects the lower and higher speeds provided by the transmission.

Higher or centrifuging drum speed is then provided by closing of contact 74a and maintaining contacts 75a closed. After a suitable period of operation at this speed contacts 75a are again opened and contacts 740 maintained closed to provide the desired tumble speed of the drum for the ensuing drying operation. By virtue of the foregoing sequence of the drum operations, the clothes advantageously fall away from the peripheral wall of the drum, following the final centrifuging thereof, and the heater 33 is energized in accordance with known suitable programming means (not shown).

Thus the foregoing novel arrangement of a two speed transmission and speed responsive switching elements provides driving apparatus capable of producing selective rotation of a clothes drum at three different speeds.

While the present invention has been illustrated as being embodied in apparatus utilizing a gear type transmission it is to be understood that a variable speed belt drive may be used as well, in place of the above-mentioned transmission. Also, speed responsive switch means other than those illustrated by way of example may be used.

It is therefore seen that the hereinabove disclosed apparatus provides simple and effective means for operating combined clothes washing and drying equipment utilizing a two-speed transmission at speeds different than those provided by the transmission, in accoradnce with an optimum program of such speeds which has heretofore required a relatively complex three-speed transmission. It will be understood that such modifications may be made in the illustrated embodiment as are contemplated by the scope of the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. In a laundry apparatus, a rotatable clothes basket, a motor, a driving connection between said motor and said backet including a transmission operative to provide a lower and a higher rotational basket speed, a control circuit providing for energization of said motor, and switch means interposed in said circuit and operative in correspondence to rotational speeds of said basket, when said transmission is conditioned for rotating said basket at its higher speed, alternately to energize and deenergize said motor thereby effectively to rotate said basket at a speed intermediate said higher and said lower speeds.

2. In a laundry apparatus, a rotatable clothes basket, and drive means providing, selectively, a plurality of rotational basket speeds, comprising: a motor; a transmission arranged to rotate said basket and driven by said motor, and shiftable to provide a lower and a higher rotational basket speed; means operative to shift said transmission to provide said lower and said higher basket speeds; a source of energy for said motor and said last recited means; and means driven by said drive means and operative to modify the input of energy from said source to said motor, cyclically, in correspondence with rotational speeds of said basket, following a shift of said transmission to provide for rotation of the basket at said higher speed, to provide an effective speed of the basket intermediate said lower and higher rotational speeds.

3. In laundry apparatus, a rotatable clothes drum, a motor, means defining a driving connection between ed to be conditioned for rotating said drum at either *5 a a higher or a lower speed, and means for alternately energizing and deenergizing said motor, in response to rotational speeds of the same, when said transmission is conditioned for rotating said drum at said higher speed.

4. In laundry apparatus, a rotatable basket, a source of energy, and drive means for rotating said basket operable by said source of energy and providing, selectively, a plurality of rotational speeds of said basket, said drive means comprising: motor means including a transmission rotatably driven thereby and shiftable to provide a higher and lower rotational speed; a driving connection between said basket and said transmission; means operative to shift said transmission to provide said last named speeds; and means operative in response to rotational speeds of said drive means, following shifting of said transmission to provide said higher speed, to modify the flow of energy from said source to said drive means, cyclically, and to provide an effective rotational speed of said basket intermediate said lower and said higher speeds.

5. In laundry apparatus, a rotatable clothes basket, a source of energy, and drive means energizable by said source of energy to impart, selectively, a plurality of rotational speeds to said basket, comprising: motor means including a transmission drivingly connected to said hasket and operative to impart, selectively, at least a lower and a higher rotational speed to said basket, and means for shifting said transmission to provide either said lower or said higher basket speeds; and means operative in response to predetermined rotational speeds in said apparatus, following shifting of said transmission to provide said higher basket speed, to interrupt the flow of energy from said source to said drive means, cyclically, to cause the latter to rotate said basket at a resultant speed intermediate said lower and said higher speeds.

6. In combination, a machine having a rotatable container adapted to be driven at a low speed and at a higher speed, an electric motor having a predetermined speed, two speed transmission means connected between said motor and container having a low speed output and a higher speed output, means for causing said container to be driven at said low speed including means for caus ing said motor to be energized while said transmission means is set in its low output speed mode of operation, and means for causing said container to rotate at said higher speed, said last named means including means for causing said motor to be energized and for shifting of said transmission means to its high speed output mode of operation, and speed responsive means for causing said motor to become de-energized at a predetermined rotational speed of said container following shifting of said transmission means to said higher speed output setting, said rotational speed corresponding to a motor speed that is less than the rated running speed of the motor.

7. In combination, a washing machine having a rotatable tub adapted to be driven at a low speed for a predetermined length of time and adapted to be driven at a higher speed for a predetermined length of time, an electric motor having a predetermined speed output, variable output speed transmission means connected between said electric motor and said tub, means for causing said tub to be driven at said low speed output including means for maintaining said motor energized and said transmission at its low output speed setting for a predetermined length of time, and means for causing said tub to at least attain its higher speed output including means for causing said motor to be energized and said transmission shifted to said higher output speed and for then causing said motor to be deenergized in response to said tub attaining said higher speed, said higher speed corresponding to a motor speed that is less than the running speed of the motor.

8. In combination, a washing machine having a rotatable tub adapted to be driven at a low speed, an intermediate spin speed and a high spin speed that is higher than either said low speed or said intermediate spin speed, an electric motor having a predetermined output speed, variable output speed transmission means 'connected between said electric motor and said-tub,tmeans for causing said. tub to be driven at said low speed including means for energizing said electric motor while said transmission means. is, setto its low output speed, means for. causing said tub toattain said intermediate spin speed including means for energizing said electric motor and for shifting said transmission means to its higher outputspeed, and including means for causing said motor to become deenergized ixr response to said tub attaining said intermediate spin. speed, and means for causing said tub to be driven at said. high spin speed including means for causing said motor to be continuously energized and operated at its running speed While said transmission is shifted to its high output speed mode of operation.

9. In combination, a washing machine having a rotatable tub adaptedfto. be driven atalow speed and at a higher speed; an electric motor having a predetermined speed output, variable output speed. transmission means,

ingtmeans'f or. connecting said motor witha power source when the speed of said tub is below said higher speed and for disconnecting saidrnotor fromr the power source when said tub speed is above said higherspeed. V

10. In combination, a washing machine having a rotatable tub adapted to be driven at, a low output speed and at a higher speed, an electric motor having a predetermined output speed, variable output speed transmis sion means connected between said electric, motor and said tub, means for causing said tub to be driven at said low output speedincluding means for energizing said electric motor while said [transmission means is set to operate at its low output speed, and means for causing said tub to be driven at said higher speed, said-last named 11. Incombination, alwashingmachine.having a, rotatable tub adapted to be driven at a low speed and at a higher speed, an electric motor having a predetermined speed output, a power-source, variablejoutput. speed transmission mean's, connectedflbetweenv said electriemotor and, said tub, means for causing said electric motor to beenergized and rfor'causing said, transmission to be set. for its, lower output speedto provide; said low speed for said tub, means for causing said; tub] to be driven at said higher speed including centrifugal switch. means adapted to control the energization of said electric motor to operate it at less than its ,rated running speed and including-means for causing said transmission means to, be'maintained means, including means for energizing said electric motor while said transmission means is shifted to its high output speed,- and centrifugal switch means for disconnecting said-electric motor. from a power source when said tub attains'said higher speed. and-forconnecting said electric motor with said power source when said ltub, speed is below said: higher speed while said transmission means is set for itshigher, speed output. i

shifted to its high output speed.

12. In combination, awashing machine having a rotatable tub adapted to be driven at a low speed, an intermediate spin speed that is higher than said low speed and a high spin speed that is. higher than either said low speed or intermediate spin, speed, an electric motor having a predetermined speed output, variable output speed transmission. meansconuected; between. electric motor andtsaid tubjhavinga low outputspeed and a higher output speed, means for causing said tub totbedriven at said low. speed including, means for energizing said electric 'motorwhile. said'transmissiontis set to operate on its, low output.speed,. means ,for causing saidttu b to be'driven at said intermediate. spin. speed including, meansfor energizing said electric motor when said tub. speed is below said intermediate, spin, speed and. for tie-energizing said electric ,motor (when, said tub. speed jis". above said intermediatet'spe'ed- While; maintaining said. transmission set at its high, output speed, and'nieans'for causing, said tub to be. driven at'said high; spin; speed including means for continuously energizing said electric motor while 'said transmission. is set to its highv output speed,

- 'R ter s st it fl y' h xa ne UNITED. STATES PATENTS 0 WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary" Examiner. CHARLES-A. WILL TH, Examiner; 

3. IN LAUNDRY APPARATUS, A ROTATABLE CLOTHES DRUM, A MOTOR, MEANS DEFINING A DRIVING CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID DRUM AND SAID MOTOR INCLUDING A TRANSMISSION ADAPTED TO BE CONDITIONED FOR ROTATING SAID DRUM AT EITHER A HIGHER OR A LOWER SPEED, AND MEANS FOR ALTERNATELY ENERGIZING AND DEENERGIZING SAID MOTOR, IN RESPONSE TO ROTATIONAL SPEEDS OF THE SAME, WHEN SAID TRANSMISSION IS CONDITIONED FOR ROTATING SAID DRUM AT SAID HIGHER SPEED. 